The opening moments of director Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight Rises” premiered last night, seven months before the film is slated to hit theaters. The six-minute prologue introduces viewers to Bane, played by rising British actor Tom Hardy, and follows the supervillain through a series of wild maneuvers on board a chartered plane. The footage also featured snippets of Anne Hathaway as Catwoman, Joseph Gordon-Levitt as John Blake and Christian Bale in his starring role as Batman.

While many viewers at the New York event agreed that the footage was breathtaking, some audience members found the prologue a bit confusing, mostly due to Bane’s voice. Hardy’s accent and the character’s mask make the dialogue difficult to follow (some of the people around me at the screening agreed they could not understand Bane). Nolan has told several media outlets that additional recordings will be added to the final product.

Nolan employed a similar tactic when releasing “The Dark Knight” in 2008. That clip offered a first look at Heath Ledger as the Joker. The actor won an Oscar, posthumously, for his performance.

Last night, Nolan introduced the new footage, speaking in a row in front of the audience. Looking dapper in a matching jacket and vest, Nolan spoke primarily about the technology he employed in shooting the film and using true 70mm IMAX technology to project it. Although Nolan shot some of “The Dark Knight” using the same film, he wanted to use more on “The Dark Knight Rises.”

“I used to go to the movies to see something larger than life,” the filmmaker noted. This technology “recaptures that feeling from childhood of being immersed in a film. It gives me as a filmmaker a chance to be where I want to be.”

Opting to use that technology means that the prologue will only be shown on 100 screens across the U.S. It is slated to premiere to audiences Dec. 16 before “Mission: Impossible Ghost Protocol.”